Letting Go of the Past
by Armor King
Summary: Rikku x Yuna fic! If you don't like the shoujoai pairing of Rikku and Yuna, don't read! Elsewise, this is a sequel to my 'Who Am I' FFX fic. Read if you like the Rikku x Yuna pairing... if you don't like this pairing, go find something else!
1. Sphere Hunting

-----Disclaimer-----  
  
I Do NOT own Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy X-2, or the characters contained therein. They are owned by Square-Enix. Don't sue, okay?  
  
-----Author's Notes/Pairing/Etc.-----  
  
Notes: Here I am with the first chapter of my 'Who Am I?' sequel. I wanna first take time to say 'Thank You!' to Flaming Soul. Also, I am now going to skip time into FFX-2 in this chapter. Which means that Rikku and Yuna will be wearing their FFX-2 outfits, and that Paine will be in this one. My original character, Leonn, will be in the same outfit as the first story. Here we go...  
  
Pairing: Rikku/Yunie(of course) and I may create female characters to pair Paine and Leonn with. How bout some suggestions, eh? (like the type of character you think would work)  
  
Length: 3-5 chapters.  
  
Rating: PG13  
  
Warnings: Hm... maybe an in-game-influenced fight-scene or two. Oh, And Rikku/Yuna moments of course.  
  
Request: C'mon, people. If you don't like Rikku/Yuna, then please don't read my fic. I am not a fan of getting flames and they will be ignored if they are flames of the pairing. Oh yeah, If anyone who does read this fic knows of anymore Rikku/Yuna fics out there, then e-mail me and let me know, okay?  
  
Shout-Out: To Flaming Soul! My bestest best online friend! I just wanna say thanks for being my friend.

And, If you that like Rikku/Yuna wanna read another Rikku/Yuna fanfic, go check out Flaming Soul's 'The Troubles of Love'!  
  
-----Sphere Hunting-----  
  
-Celsius/Cabin-  
  
Yuna's sleeping in the center bed, Rikku's sprawled-out asleep in the right bed, and the bed where Paine should be sleeping is vacant... Suddenly, Yuna and Rikku are awakened by shouting echoing throughout the ship. Yuna sits up quickly and starts looking around with slightly wide eyes, wondering what's happening. However, Rikku slowly sits up and yawns, rubbing her eyes sleepily.  
  
Rikku looks over to Yuna, "What's up, Yunie?" she asks, from her bed.  
  
Yuna turns to the blonde Al Bhed, "I have no idea, I just woke up myself." she replies, blinking her mix-colored eyes twice.  
  
"It's nothing to worry about." comes Paine's voice from the lower level of the Cabin.  
  
Rikku and Yuna both get out of bed and walk over to the railing to see Paine sitting at Barkeep's counter, "Yeah but..." Yuna says, as she hears the shouting again and looks toward the Cabin's door, "What's all the shouting about?"  
  
Paine sips her drink(no, it's not alcohol), "Just Brother and Leonn arguing." she replies.  
  
"Aw, Man!" Rikku says, dropping part out her weight over the railing and letting one arm dangle down, "What about, this time?"  
  
"Apparently, Buddy located a sphere in the Omega Ruins and Leonn thinks we should check it out, but Brother wants to stay away from that place." Paine explains, before taking another sip of her drink.  
  
"Aw, Man!" Rikku says again, turning around to lay her back against the railing and looking up toward the ceiling, her blonde hair dangling over the rail. She adds, "He's probably just scared, big fraidy-cat." Yuna just blinks at the Al Bhed girl.  
  
Soon, Yuna puts her right index finger to her chin and looks thoughtful(not to mention cute) for a few moments before asking Rikku, "Um, You think we should go talk to them, Rikku?"  
  
Rikku hops up to a standing position and spins to Yuna, "Good idea, Yunie!" she exclaims, with a big smile, "Before Leonn makes ground-beef outta Brother!"  
  
Yuna nods and the two head down the steps to the lower level of the Cabin, then out the door toward the elevator. Paine merely sips her drink again, 'Not that that would be a bad idea...' she says to herself, blinking her red eyes once.  
  
-Celsius/Bridge-  
  
The elevator door opens to reveal Rikku and Yuna, who exit the elevator and head toward the door to the Bridge. When the Bridge's door opens, the two girls see Leonn and Brother standing roughly in the center of the room and shouting back-and-forth.  
  
"I am leader! ME!" Brother shouts, still not fluent in non-Al Bhed language, "I decide where we go!"  
  
"You idiot! You may be the pilot of the Celsius-" Leonn responds in a shout, "But, The Gullwings are sphere-hunters! That means we go where the spheres are!"  
  
"Hey!" Rikku shouts, hopping over the rail, "Cut it out, you two!"  
  
"Yes." they hear Yuna's voice say, causing all three to look toward where she's standing at the base of the stairs. Yuna has her hands clasped together infront of her and has an almost pleading expression, "Please, Stop arguing." she says.  
  
'Aww, Yunie's sooo cute!' Rikku mentally states, smiling with a slight tint of pink on her cheeks.  
  
"Dah!" Leonn says, throwing his hand up, "The idiot ain't worth my time!" he walks over to a seat(where Shinra sits in the actual game) and sits down, laying the handle of his nodachi against the front of his right shoulder with the tip of the blade against the floor and he crosses his legs.  
  
Brother walks back toward the pilot's seat, mumbling some kind of insult in Al Bhed at Leonn under his breath as he does.  
  
"E raynt dryd, puharayt!" responds Leonn, in Al Bhed also.  
  
Brother starts to respond again, however, Rikku interrupts him, "Guys! Guys!" she says, "Why don't we let Yunie decide?"  
  
After a few moments, Leonn and Brother both agree on letting Yuna decide whether to go after the sphere or not. 'Phew!' Rikku mentally breathes a sigh of relief as she brushes her right forearm across her forehead, then she looks toward Yuna and throws her a quick wink and a smile.  
  
"Um, Can I think about it?" Yuna asks everyone, then yawns slightly, "Right now, I would like to finish getting my rest." Leonn, Buddy, and Brother agree... and, of course, Rikku's more than in agreement, as she wants to finish her nap as well. So, Yuna and Rikku decide to head back to the Cabin in order to finish their naps.  
  
-Celsius/Cabin-  
  
"Really?" Paine says, after hearing how things went down on the Bridge, "So, Yuna, You're going to decide?" Yuna nods, then Paine asks, "Well, Which one is it?"  
  
"Um, I don't know..." Yuna responds, then looks over at Rikku, "What do you think, Rikku?"  
  
Rikku hops back on her bed and lays back slightly, bracing her weight on her hands and looking up at the ceiling, "Well... I would like to find out, but... I don't wanna put my friends in danger." she blinks her eyes three times.  
  
"Don't worry about us, Rikku." Paine responds, "Especially me. As long as I'm not bored, I'm fine."  
  
"Yes, Rikku." Yuna adds, causing Rikku to look at her, "If it is important to you, then it is to me as well." she smiles at the blonde Al Bhed girl.  
  
Rikku returns Yuna's smile and says, "Thanks Yunie." then turns to Paine, "And you too, Paine." she adds, "So, Why don't we take a vote? All in favor of finding that sphere, raise your hands!" each of the three girls raises their right hand and Rikku hops up to her feet, "Well then, Let's go get that sphere!" she states, cheerfully, "Uh..." her eyelids drop halfway, "Right after we finish our naps..." she says as she falls back onto her bed, falling asleep almost impossibly fast.  
  
Yuna walks over to Rikku's bed and frees the cover from under the girl, then pulls it up to tuck her in. The former High Summoner places a kiss on Rikku's forehead and then smiles down at her, before she notices Paine's stare and turns to her, "What?" she asks, blushing slightly.  
  
Paine just smiles, "Nothing." she says, then starts down the steps, "You two are cute, you know." this causes Yuna's blush to deepen slightly, as the silver-gray haired girl proceeds down the stairs to lower level of the Cabin.  
  
It's no secret to the crew of the Celsius that Yuna and Rikku are a 'couple', but they decided at the beginning that they wouldn't flaunt their relationship. Yuna looks down at Rikku once more, sleeping peacefully, smiles and then walks over to her own bed. She sits on the bed and yawns, covering her mouth with her hand and then lays down, pulling her cover up over her as she does.  
  
-----!!To Be Continued!!-----  
  
Ramblings: Well, Chapter 1's finished. So, What do you think? A-anyway, This is the sequel to my FFX Rikku/Yuna fic, 'Who Am I?', and well... you'll have to read the rest of the fic to know exactly what's going to happen. Oh, Chapter 2 is going to focus on the search in the Omega Ruins and the sphere that's there. Al Bhed translation as follows:  
  
"I heard that, bonehead!" responds Leonn, in Al Bhed also.  
  
Yep, There was only one Al Bhed line to translate. Welp, I guess that's it for this here chapter. Ja til Chapter 2.


	2. Hidden Sphere

-----Author's Notes-----

Hey guys! I want to thank 'Jon', 'Gamsprite Badger', and 'Rikku ist die Beste' for their positive reviews for the first chapter of this fic. Oh, and of course, A big 'thank you' to Flaming Soul! Okay, Now it's time for a sphere-search! Rikku, Yuna, Paine, and Leonn are going to be exploring the Omega Ruins. Oh, and one more thing... I will be adding a pairing in for Leonn in a later chapter. I won't reveal her name right now, but here's a small dosier on her: she's a former Summoner, her outfit is similar to Yuna's FFX attire, she has a cheerful upbeat persona somewhat like Rikku's, and her abilities are simply magic-based(even her physical attack in battle). She was on her Pilgrimage at the same time as Yuna. Leonn had become her Guardian and they fell in love but... during the Pilgrimage, Sin attacked them and they were separated, Leonn hasn't seen her since. You'll have to wait to find anymore about her and Leonn.

-----Hidden Sphere-----

-Celsius/Bridge-

The Gullwings are gathered on the Bridge... Rikku, Yuna, Paine, and Leonn are preparing to head down to the Omega Ruins. However, Leonn says, "Wait a minute. I wanna switch into something more appropriate for the locale..." In a quick flash of light, his look changes: Reddish-hued scaley skin, large dragonic wings on his back, animal-fur covered knee-length pants, leather boots, spiked shoulders, long claws, back-curved horns, slitted eyes, fangs, the tops of his ears stretch back slightly and come into a point, and a long ridged tail. Leonn then roars, swishing his tail from side-to-side behind him.

"Wow! What's that?" questions Rikku, wide-eyed.

"We're heading into the Omega Ruins, right?" Leonn responds, a slight reptilian sound in his voice, "I figure we'll need to rely on heavy-damage, y'know!" he grins slightly.

"Yeah, but what is it called?" asks Yuna, almost as curious as Rikku.

"Oh!" Leonn responds, slapping his own forehead, "Sorry bout that! This form is called a Dragoner, it's known a Type-Class."

Rikku blinks twice, then asks, "How many o' those 'Classes' you got?"

"Well..." Leonn responds, bringing his hand to his chin for a moment, "Let's see, I've got a total of... six: Swordsman, Dragoner, Shinobi, Paladin, Red Mage, & Westerner." "Anyway, You guys should get changed, too." he adds, "We're gonna be fighting some heavy-hitting fiends!"

"Alrighty, then!" Rikku chirps, then thrusts her right arm into the air, "Warrior time!" she then changes into the Warrior-dressphere, "I'm ready to go!" she adds.

"Heavy-damage, huh?" Paine says, "I think I'll go with this." she switches into the Dark Knight-dressphere.

"Yes, but... shouldn't we have a way to heal?" Yuna says, putting her right index finger to her chin, "So... I choose the Gun-Mage!" she changes into the Gun-Mage-dressphere.

"Great idea, Yunie!" Rikku states, usual cheerfulness present, "Now, Let's go get that sphere!" The other three agree and they head down to the Omega Ruins...

-Omega Ruins-

Just after entering the Ruins, the group are attacked by an Adamantoise. "Darn!" Leonn states, "I didn't expect we'd get attacked this quick!" (btw, Leonn's Dragoner stance in battle is like this: he stands upright, facing the opponent directly, and his tail swishes back-and-forth behind him. Every once in awhile his wings flap and lift him slightly off the ground, then he lands again).

"Don't worry, I got it!" Rikku states, then runs over to the fiend, spins and slashes it. She jumps back, "What the!? I know my attack did alot of damage, but it doesn't even seem fazed!?"

"Adamantoise..." Leonn says, "High HP, massive Defense, great attacking power. We need to focus on its weaknesses: it's slow and is vulnerable to most elements. Yuna! Use the Bad Breath Blue Bullet!"

"Right!" Yuna responds with a quick nod, then begins charging up for the attack.

"Rikku! Armor Break!"

Rikku nods twice, "Gotcha!" she says, preparing to use the mentioned skill.

"And Paine! ..." Leonn starts, but doesn't finish as he sees Paine already getting ready to use Darkness. 'Hm! Should've figured she wouldn't need guidance.' Leonn says to himself, "Alright, I'll use Tail Slash!" his attack requires the shortest charge-time, so it comes out first as he flies up slightly off the ground and flies over to the Adamantoise. He lands infront of it and spins, slashing with his tail... cutting down the fiend's Defense, then Leonn leaps back to his position.

Yuna's attack strikes next, as she fires the Malboro attack: Bad Breath... casting several abnormal statuses on the fiend, including Slow. Rikku lashes out at the fiend after that, running over and slashing the Adamantoise with Armor Break, lowering its Defense further. Then, Paine nails the Adamantoise with Darkness, cutting down her own HP and delivering a great amount of damage to the fiend... but, it doesn't fall.

"Hey, Leonn! What's the deal with this thing, eh?" questions Rikku as the Adamantoise still seems unfazed.

However, Paine replies instead of Leonn, "It must be Oversouled." she says.

"Hmm..." Leonn thinks for a moment, then notices the Adamantoise's body is starting to take on a different look to normal Adamantoise. Strange designs appear covering its shell, large tusks extend from the sides of its mouth and a straight horn extends from the top of its head pointing back diagonally. "No, That's not an Oversoul!" Leonn states, concerned, "It's not a normal Adamantoise! It must be the sphere's Guardian!!" he quickly crosses his arms over his chest in an 'X' and wraps his wings around himself, charging an ability.

However, Before Leonn finishes, The Adamant-Guardian moves over to Yuna and swings its right front foot at her, to slash with its claws. But, the fiend's attack is blocked by Rikku and Paine, both using their swords from opposite sides with the blades crossed against the fiend's foot. "Get outta the way, Yunie!" Rikku calls to the Gun-Mage. Yuna nods and moves away from the attack-point. Rikku and Paine then jump back in opposite directions as the Adamant-Guardian's foot hits the ground where Yuna was standing.

Just then, Leonn finishes charging his move and spreads his wings quickly, throwing his arms out to either side of himself, and flies up into the air, "Burning Wings!!" he shouts as his wings are engulfed in fire. The move isn't offensive, but defensive as it casts Shell, Protect, and Attack5 on all four members of the group.

The Adamant-Guardian trudges over to Leonn and hits him with a swipe of its right claws, however, he doesn't take much damage from it. "That's it!" Leonn states, "Let's take this thing DOWN!!" he starts charging up his most powerful attack, Flame Burst.

"About time!" Paine responds, then starts charging up to use Black Rain.

Rikku starts powering up Excalibur and Yuna begins charging to use Annihalation.

Paine unleashes Black Rain, heavily damaging the monstrous fiend. Then, Leonn flies up into the air and is enshrouded in flames, then pulls his head back and lunges it forward, opening his mouth to launch a flaming breath attack at the fiend which deals huge fire-damage to the creature. Rikku and Yuna get their attacks charged up at the same time.

"Now, Yunie!" Rikku says, "Let's finish this fiend off together, 'kay?" Yuna nods and Rikku holds up her sword, which charges with Holy energy. Rikku runs over toward the fiend as Yuna fires Annihalation into it, dealing massive damage right as Rikku spins to slash the fiend... however, neither attack does what they normally do as Rikku's sword glows with Light and Dark energies just as it connects with the fiend. The fiend, however, doesn't fall as Rikku hops back to her initial position.

"What the heck was that attack!?" wonders Rikku aloud.

"No time!" Leonn states as he flies up slightly off the ground, then flies over to Adamant-Guardian and lands. His fists are encircled by flames and he delivers a right uppercut body-blow, then a left hook punch, following fluidly to spin around and nail the Adamant-Guardian with a right roundhouse kick. He then crosses his arms and throws them out to either side and launches his Flame Burst attack again, up close. The Adamant-Guardian sits back, flailing its head from side-to-side, before it finally falls to the ground and disappears into pyreflies. Leonn flies up into the air, curls himself into a ball with his arms crossed infront of himself and his wings wrap around him, then he quickly swings his wings open as well as throwing his arms out to either side of himself and his legs stretched downward as he roars, then lands(win-pose). Then scene switches out of battle and Leonn drops to a kneel.

"Leonn!" Rikku says, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Leonn responds, as he stands back up and shakes his head, "I just... need a little rest, that's all." he walks by the three girls and leans against a wall, letting his arms dangle at his sides. He breathes a heavy breath, "You guys should go ahead to the sphere's coordinates, I'll wait here." he says, "Now that the sphere's Guardian is defeated, you shouldn't have any real problems."

"Are you sure you're alright?" questions Yuna.

"Yeah, yeah..." Leonn replies, waving his hand slightly, "I'll be fine til you guys get back. Go on." The three girls agree then and head toward a deep alcove in one of the nearby walls. Once they're out of sight, Leonn looks toward the opening they went through, then stands up from the wall and walks away to yet another wall where there is a solid stone slab apparently concealing an opening behind it.

Leonn takes a deep breath and grips the sides of the slab, then using all of his Dragoner form's strength and lifts the slab. He moves it to his right, revealing the opening, and sets it against the wall... then he changes back to his Swordsman Type-Class. Just about this time, Paine comes back out of the other opening and sees Leonn. Paine then watches as Leonn reaches into the opening infront of him and he pulls something out.

Close-up of Leonn's right hand... In it, He's holding a small object and, as he flips it open, the view switches to his face as a tear falls from his right eye. Then, He hears movement from the direction Yuna and the others went and closes the object, then slips it under his vest.

Leonn uses his left thumb to flick away the stray tear before he turns to see Yuna, Rikku and Paine walking back out of the alcove, "You back?" he asks, normal personality holding, "Get the sphere?"

"Yep!" Rikku chirps, holding up the sphere triumphantly, "We got it!"

"Shall we watch it?" asks Paine, nonchalantly. The others nod and Leonn walks over to the three as Rikku activates the sphere.

The sphere switches on and displays a dim, yet clear, picture. The scene is of Omega Weapon and two people: one appears to be a female Summoner, wearing a similar outfit to Yuna's old one, and the other person is apparently her Guardian, a male somewhat resembling Leonn and wielding a long slightly curved sword. The scene skips somewhat to reveal that the two toppled Omega Weapon and the Summoner is preparing to Send it. However, Before that happens, Omega Weapon disappears in a flash of light. The two then leave the area and the sphere ends.

"Heeeeey!" Rikku says, turning to Leonn, "That guy kinda looked like you, Leonn, y'know."

Leonn turns his attention to the Al Bhed girl, "Huh? You think so, Rikku?" he asks, "Hm... maybe, but he wasn't quite as good-looking as me though! Ha ha ha!" he ends his statement with a hearty laugh, then says, "Well, Let's head back up to the Celsius, eh?" the three girls nod in agreement and they all head back toward the exit. "By the way." Leonn says, "That attack you and Yuna used in the battle, Rikku, is called... 'Annihalating Vorpal Slash'." ...

-----!!To Be Continued!!-----

Ramblings: Well, What do you think so far? I think it's going good. Anyway, There'll be some of Leonn's and Paine's pasts revealed in the next chapter. (The portion of Paine's past I'm going to reveal is taken from the game, itself). Be sure to check it out when I get it posted. P.S. - A big Thank You! to those who have given good reviews! No telling when I'll get to update again, however, I'll try to as soon as I can. I think that's it for now, Ja til next time! 


	3. Fierce Storm

-----Author's Notes----- 

Well, Here I am! Back with chapter 3. Okay, Now, This chapter is going to give a little background on Leonn and Paine. As I said in the Ramblings at the end of the last chapter, what of Paine's past is revealed is taken from the game itself, so it is accurate. Also, I will reveal the name of the female Summoner whom I created as Leonn's pairing. Btw, I also have an idea of a pairing for Paine, but I don't know right now. This chapter will consist primarily of Leonn's backstory. Count on at least one or two Rikku/Yunie moments in this chapter. Oh yeah, Lots more Rikku/Yunie moments are going to be throughout this fic! Btw, In case you're wondering why I chose the particular dresspheres I did in the last chapter, here's why... I chose the 'Power' dressphere(i.e. Warrior, Dark Knight, Samurai, & Berserker) for each of the three characters that I like best for them (in other words, Warrior is my favorite 'Power' dressphere for Rikku and Dark Knight for Paine... I, however, don't like any of the 'Power' dresspheres for Yuna, hence I went with a good balanced one: Gun Mage). Anyway, Let's get started, eh?

-----Fierce Storm-----

-Celsius/Cabin-

Rikku and Yuna, both passed out from exhaustion, are lying akwardly on Yuna's bed asleep. Yuna's long 'ponytail'(for lack of a better word) is laying across Rikku's back, who's lying face-down, and Rikku's arms are wrapped around Yuna's left arm, her head laying against Yuna's shoulder. Rikku snuggles up against Yuna's side smiles subconsciously. After sitting on her bed and thinking quietly for awhile, Paine decides to go up on the Deck for some fresh air. She gets up and exits the Cabin, walks to the elevator and presses the button for the Deck.

-Celsius/Deck-

As soon as the elevator door opens, Paine sees Leonn training with his nodachi. Paine watches as Leonn slices against the wind, then with his right hand, he swings his nodachi in an upward diagonal right-to-left swing, followed by an upward diagonal left-to-right swing (an X motion). As he completes the second swing, he follows through by spinning on his left foot and performing a right back roundhouse, switching positions with his nodachi into a reverse-grip as he kicks. Leonn continues his spin and jumps up slightly, performing another right roundhouse in the air before landing. Leonn reaches back and grips the lower part of his nodachi's handle with his left hand, releasing it with his right hand, and he performs a left-handed diagonal upward right-to-left swing. He then twists his left wrist and regrips the upper-part of the handle with his right hand, brings it in a circular motion around himself and performs a diagonal downward right-to-left swing.

Leonn takes a few moments to breathe a few breaths, then walks forward to the end of the Deck and sits down, his right foot placed on the Deck with his knee brought up and his left leg outstretched infront of himself. He places the tip of his nodachi's blade against the Deck and lays the sword against his right shoulder, holding the handle in his right hand and placing his elbow against his knee. The wind blows through his long hair, causing it to wave behind him, he blinks twice, then says, "So, Paine? What's up?"

"Hm, Guess I just never had you pegged as a strickler for training." Paine says, walking up beside Leonn.

"I figure you felt that way cause o' my laid-back, easy-going personality, eh?" Leonn responds, "Appearances can be deceiving, y'know."

"I suppose you've got a point." Paine says, looking off at the clouds flying by, "But, I wasn't expecting to find you up here... I just wanted to clear my head in the fresh air."

"I see..." Leonn responds, "I would, though, like to ask... Why would a former Crusader become a Sphere-hunter?"

The question takes Paine slightly by surprise and she turns to Leonn, "How'd you know I was a Crusader?" she asks.

"Your style of swordsmanship... it's obviously the same as the Crusaders' Blade Unit." Leonn replies, still looking forward into the wind, "So, How'd you wind up here, eh?"

"Hmm... truth is, I was selected as a recruit in the Crimson Squad while I was in the Crusaders." Paine reveals, folding her arms, "Since the Crimson Squad was primarily machina weapon users and I was a member of the Blade Unit, I was assigned the task of being the recorder for Nooj, Gippal, and Baralai... then, on a certain assignment, things went crazy and we were seperated. But, There was also someone else who was very important to me that disappeared during that same assignment..."

"It's okay, you don't have to say anymore. I understand."

"So, Leonn, What's your story?" Paine asks, "I'm not usually the type to ask questions, but--"

"... well, my mother was a Summoner and I was born with an intimate knowledge of magic." Leonn begins, "When I was about nine, Sin attacked and my mother chose to undertake the Pilgrimage to defeat it and bring the Calm. My father stayed by her side, becoming her Guardian. And I, too, was 'labeled' her Guardian. We met Yuna's father, Braska, and his Guardians along our journey. Soon thereafter, though, Sin attacked us and I was knocked away, but my parents were killed by it..." he stops to take a deep breath, then lets it out slowly,"I was later taken in by an elderly swordmaster, who trained me in the ancient ways of swordsmanship. He knew of my desire for revenge against Sin, but he told me, 'Revenge nevers brings Redemption, the path through the past leads to nothing. You must live your life in the present.' I, of course, didn't listen and when I thought I'd learned everything from him I could, I left out on my own... I was about fourteen at the time." he continues, "I then joined the Crusaders, thinking it would get me closer to defeating Sin. I quickly became leader of the Blade Unit and eventually became known as the 'Hero of Djose' after the battle with the Al Bhed near Djose Temple."

"'You' were at the Battle of Djose Temple?" questions Paine.

Leonn nods, then continues, "I still remember seeing the Al Bhed bodies amongst the wreckage of their machina transport... not just warriors' bodies, but childrens' bodies too... it was shortly after that that I left the Crusaders and ended up joining up with the Al Bhed, I guess, to try to redeem myself for what I'd done. That's how I came to know Rikku and Cid." "I remained an ally to the Al Bhed for awhile, but ultimately left... I guess you could say I've lived asa bit of a vagabond." he continues, laughing once,"A short time later is when I met 'her'... someone who changed my life..."

"'her'? Who?"

"... Sarah... she, too, was a Summoner like my mother." Leonn says, "I met her about three years ago... a year later, Sin returned! Sarah chose to begin her Pilgrimage to bring the Calm and I followed, becoming her only Guardian."

"You were in love with her, right?" asks Paine.

Leonn nods, "However... again, it was ill-fated... as, during the Pilgrimage, we were attacked by Sin and... she and I were seperated..." he says, reaching into his vest with his left hand to pull out the object from the Omega Ruins... a locket. He flips it open and looks at the picture inside, which is of Sarah, "I know she's still alive, somewhere, but I... haven't seen her since that day..."

"Aha! So you 'were' the guy on the sphere!" Rikku's perky voice states from behind Leonn and Paine.She points toward him twice in succession with her right index finger.

Leonn takes a deep breath, letting it out slowly, "... yes." he responds, then glances uptoward the sky above,"That happened 2 years ago..."

"2 years..."

"Sarah and I learned about the traitor, Omega, and she was persistent for wanting to 'save' him..." Leonn continues, "The two of us, together, were able to topple the monster he was." "But, then, Just as Sarah began the process to Send him... he vanished." he says, "It was as we left the Omega Ruins that Sin attacked and separated me from Sarah..."

Rikku walks over and crouches next to Leonn's left side, she uses her right hand to pat him on the back and says, sympathetically,"She musta been really special to you, huh?"

"Yep." Leonn replies, "As special to me as Yuna is to you, Rikku." this causes Rikku to blush slightly.Leonn closes the locket and places itback inside his vest, then stands up and brushes his left hand through his hair, "Ah, well... I guess that's just the way things played out, eh? Nothing I can do about it since Sin's already gone, anyway." he turns and starts walking away from the edge of the Deck, "Life is full of happiness and sorrow, best to embrace it all as it comes, right?" Rikku and Paine stand up and turn around as Leonn walks toward the elevator.

As Leonn starts by Yuna, she says, "I'm sorry..." lowering her head slightly.

Leonn stops beside Yuna and places his right hand on her right shoulder, momentarily, then continues walking, "Nah. You did a great thing for all of Spira by defeating Sin... besides, 'Revenge never brings Redemption.' It was better the way it played out." Yuna turns and the three girls watch as Leonn heads back down, via the elevator, and Rikku walks up just behind Yuna's right side, placing her hands on Yuna's right shoulder.

"Y'know, I get the feeling Leonn's not tellin' us everything." Rikku says, trying to look thoughtful.

"Well, What d'you expect from the 'Fierce Storm'?" Paine says, folding her arms.

"Huh? 'Fierce Storm'?" asks Yuna, as she and Rikku turn toward Paine.

Paine turns back toward the edge of the Celsius' Deck, "I heard stories while I was in the Crusaders, but..." she says, folding her arms, "I never thought I'd actually meet him."

Yuna runs up to Paine's right side, Rikku to her left side, and she and Rikku both lean in, "Okay, Paine, Spill it!" Rikku states, "You know something, don't ya?"

"Yes, Paine." Yuna adds, "What is it?"

Paine rolls her eyes and sighs once, "Alright..." she relents, "Just give me a little room to breathe, would you?" Rikku and Yuna both take a step back and stand up straight. "It was a few years back and the Crusaders in my unit commonly talked about a swordsman who never stayed in one place for long. They said how he was likea force of naturein battle, yet he was nonchalant and laid-back when off the battlefield... and, they kept referring to him as the 'Fierce Storm'."

"So... you think that's Leonn?" asks Yuna, bringing her right index finger to her chin.

Paine nods, "I think so. Yeah." she replies, "Especially after seeing him fight."

-----!!To Be Continued!!-----

Ramblings: Well, Here we are at the ramblings again. Yeah, I know, My new stories have really short chapters as compared to some of my older ones, eh? Well, I just can't find the words to type longer chapters anymore... I'm sorry. However, I am trying to keep the chapters of each story in-sync, as far as length. Well, Tune in for the next chapter. Lots of Rikku/Yunie moments planned for the next chapter! Check back then okay? And, be sure to check out Flaming Soul's 'The Troubles of Love' fic, if you like the Rikku/Yuna pairing. Ja til the next chapter.


	4. Mystery of the Sphere Revealed

-Author's Notes- 

Well, Here's chapter four and btw, I probably won't exceed five chapters with this story, six at the very most. So, It's now time to find out some 'truth' in this chapter. The people from the sphere's identities, their last known location, the Crimson Spheres, Sarah, Paine's mystery-someone and... just read on to find out anything else...

-Celsius/Deck-

Paine has already gone back down via the elevator, probably to get a drink at Barkeep's, leaving Rikku and Yuna on the Deck of the Celsius: Yuna is standing with her right hand covering her right earand looking off into the sky as it scrolls byand Rikku is squatted(for lack of a better word) with her knees against her chest and her left arm around her knees, she's 'drawing' random little shapes with her right index finger and looking down. Yuna soon turns toward the blondehaired Al Bhed girl, her expression immediately changes from thoughtful to concerned, "What's the matter, Rikku?" she asks, her concern leaking into her voice, "Something must be bothering you. Tell me... What is it?"

"... huh?" Rikku responds after a moment, as she jerks her head up toward Yuna, who's still standing up, "Um..." she returns her gaze toward the Deck of the Celsius at her feet, "It's just that... I started this journey to find out who I really am: my parents, my past, where I was actually born... but..." she pauses to swallow and clear her mind somewhat, "It's brought Leonn's painful memories back, Paine's hurt too, and-"

"What do you mean, 'Paine's hurt'?" queries Yuna, blinking twice in confusion.

"Couldn't ya tell, Yunie?" Rikku responds with another question, then says, "It was the way she was actin'... I'm not sure, but I think something about Leonn's past brought up memories of Paine's... maybe..." she sniffles twice and curls her right arm around her knees, "I'm sorry, Yunie... it just feels like I'm causin' my friends pain... all on account o' my own stupid selfishness!" she then quickly buries her face in her knees and starts crying.

Yuna stands there a moment before stepping closer to Rikku and kneeling next to her. She places her left hand on Rikku's right shoulder and Rikku, instantly, spins toward her and buries her face in Yuna's right shoulder, crying. Rikku's hands grip the fabric of Yuna's outfit as the Al Bhed girl cries against her shoulder and Yuna brings her left hand up to cup the back of Rikku's head and the brownhaired girl curls her right arm around her friend's shoulders, "Shhh... Rikku." Yuna says softly into the Al Bhed girl's right ear, stroking Rikku's hair with her left hand, "It isn't your fault. It isn't easy to let go of the past... after all, Leonn's 'still' trying to let go of his. Stop blaming yourself, neither of them blame you... 'I' don't blame you, Rikku. Besides, Leonn and Paine are both strong people, they'll be fine."

Rikku crying soon slows and she leans back slightly to look at Yuna, "A-are you sure, Yunie?" she asks, still sniffling through a few still sheading tears.

Yuna merely smiles and uses her right hand to wipe the tears from Rikku's cheeks, "Of course I'm sure, silly." she giggles slightly, then notices how Rikku's cheeks are slightly pinkish from crying, "You know, You're cute when your face is red."

"Awww, Yunie..." Rikku responds, her cheeks blushing deeper... for a different reason. She looks down and starts acting slightly embarrassed as she twists slightly back-and-forth, "You're just saying that to make me feel better."

Yuna giggles slightly and then says, "Maybe so... but, it's still true." she then places her right index and middle fingers under Rikku's chin and raises her face to where their eyes meet, "I love you." she says almost silently.

Rikku smiles at the former High Summoner, "I love you too, Yunie!" she responds, then leans in toward her. Yuna meets the blonde halfway and their lips touch in short and sweet kiss, before they hear...

"Ahem!" Paine's voice says, "I hope I'm not interrupting."

Rikku and Yuna break away and both girls turn to acknowledge Paine... the leather-clad girl is standing just infront of the elevator with her arms folded in her typical fashion.

"Oh!" Yuna responds, "N-no. Not at all, Paine."

"Yeah! Yunie was just cheering me up!" Rikku adds with a big smile, keeping her arms around Yuna, "Anyhoo, What's up?" she asks.

"I heard an announcement over the com that we're all supposed to go to the Bridge... Leonn's got something important to tell us." Paine replies, "So, I decided to come up and get you two, then we can all go to the Bridge." Rikku uncurls her arms from around Yuna's waist and both girls stand up, then give Paine a quick nod. "By the way..." Paine says, as she spins away from them and toward the elevator, "You two are 'cute' together." then steps into the elevator and tilts her head down slightly, closing her eyes, 'I miss you... Elle...' she thinks to herself as she presses the button for the Bridge.

"Hey! Wait for us!" Rikku and Yuna call almost in unison as the make a mad dash for the elevator before the doors close.

Paine doesn't raise her head, open her eyes, or even turn around as she sidesteps to her left just in time to avoid the impact as Rikku and Yuna trip and fall into the elevator just before the door closes. As the elevator begins its decent, Paine turns to the two girls on the floor and looks down at them, she halfway grins, "I'll give you two a '5' for effort." she says, "But, I'd have to say about a '-1' for balance." she laughs somewhat.

-Celsius/Bridge-

When Paine, Rikku, and Yuna enter the bridge from the hall to the elevator, they see Leonn sitting at the computer at the right wall, tapping several buttons on a keyboard. Buddy is standing near Leonn, looking at one of the computer-screens and Brother's, of course, flying the Celsius. Buddy turns toward the three girls as they walk toward the computer-area, "Ah, Good timing!" he says.

Rikku and the others stop behind Leonn's seat, "We're here." Paine says, folding her arms, "So, What's so important?"

"Yeah." Rikku adds, walking forward and leaning against the back of Leonn's seat, "What's up?"

"I've discovered some very interesting information." Leonn says, without looking away from the computer-screens as he continues hitting keys, "First, I found out the names of the two on that sphere... The man's name was: Krios. And, the woman: Shilaya. Here's their descriptions..." he taps a few more keys and a picture of a man with short light-brown hair and a feint scar on his right cheek appears on one screen, he's wearing: Black pants with the right leg covered by silver armor, brown boots, chain-mesh armor covering his torso, his left arm is fitted with matching armor to his right leg with a black glove on his left hand, his right forearm is covered by a blue gauntlet that even covers the back of his right hand to the middle joints of his fingers (the armor is segmented at his wrist, knuckles and between his fingers to allow his hand free-movement), he also has a metal armor-plate covering his forehead with a small piece coming down to cover the front of his nose. On another monitor, a picture of a slender blonde-haired woman appears, she's wearing: A short-sleeve knee-length dress with a small slit up the right side (think Chinese dress) and ruffled shoulders, a sash-like belt around her waist, a jewel-studded choker around her neck, a matching band around each of her wrists, split-toe sandals on her feet, and shin-guards on both shins (which slightly off-sets the rest of her attire).

The pictures are accompanied by full dosiers on the corresponding people, the following information is displayed...

The man: Name: Krios. Build: Average/Solid. Type: Human Warrior. Class: 'Archaic Arts' Master. Age: 27. Description: Highly trained martial arts master descended from a long line of ancient warriors. His skills in unarmed combat were unsurpassed and he received many accolades for his bravery in battle. Later, however, he was accused of Herecy against Yevon and marked as a traitor, along with his wife; Shilaya. The two were sentenced to death. True disciples of Yevon were sent to find and execute them for Herecy, however... the two escaped, along with their young daughter. Current Location: Unknown.

The Woman: Name: Shilaya. Build: Average/Feminine. Type: Human Guardian. Class: Balanced Melee and Magic. Age: 25. Description: Wife of Krios and a top ranking Yevon soldier... until she was found guilty of Herecy and sentenced to death along with Krios. Missing since the Herecy Examiners were sent to execute them both. Bodies of the Examiners were found at the location they were sent to. Proof enough, though, that one year prior... she gave birth to a baby girl. Current Location: Unknown.

Rikku's spiralled green eyes are wide in astonishment, her mouth slightly agape... Yuna in similar circumstances. Paine looking fairly nonchalant as usual, except for her wider-than-average eyes.

"So..." Rikku finally manages to voice, "Th-they're my parents...?"

"Still not certain of that..." Leonn says, tapping more keys, "However, Take a look at this..."

More information appears on the center monitor, reading-Herecy Examiners' log: Targets located atlocation: Mushroom Rock Road. Preparing to execute on Lead Examiner's order.-

"That reads like a Machina-readout." Paine states.

"Yes, No doubt one of the Machina robots used by the 'True Yevonites'." Leonn explains.

"Is that all?" questions Paine, boredly.

"... not exactly. There's more." Leonn responds, "It turns out those two weren't the only ones who disappeared near Mushroom Rock Road... Sarah did, too..."

A picture and dosier pops up on Sarah, focusing on what happened after she and Leonn were separated at Omega Ruins... ending at Mushroom Rock Road.

"There is one more disappearance described..." Leonn adds, pressing several more keys to bring up another picture of a young woman, who appears about 15-16, with near shoulder-length brown hair, wearing: A blue and white dress (the top's blue, the lower part's white), a scarf-like item drapped around her, and low-top shoes.

However, Before her name and dosier even pop up, Paine's eyes widen, "... Elle!" she states, shoving Buddy aside and stepping closer to the screen. The dosier pops up, verifying that the girl's name is indeed 'Elle'... Ellone, to be exact. Paine reaches a gloved hand out to the screen with Ellone's picture on it, placing her palm on the screen and slowly brushing her hand over the screen to one side. A never-before-seen occurence happens as a tear escapes Paine's right eye, as she looks at the face of the girl on the screen.

"... by the way..." Leonn says, "The information points their likely location as... the Den of Woe. And, The key to opening the Seal over the entrance is the Crimson Spheres..."

Everyone gasps.

!To Be Continued!

Ramblings: Bet none of you saw that coming, eh? If you're wondering... Yes! Ellone is the exact same Ellone from Final Fantasy VIII. Now, I wish to inform you all that the next chapter should be the last one. The confrontation at the Den of Woe with the one responsible for the backstoryline of this fanfic. Tune in next chapter, alright? Ja til then!

P.S. - If you haven't already, Be sure to check out Flaming Soul's 'The Troubles of Love' if you like the Rikku/Yuna pairing. See you next chapter.


	5. Secrets of the Den of Woe

!Author's Notes! 

Here I am, Back with chapter 5! Okay, Let's just get started, eh? Btw, In case you're wondering... Rikku's parents(that I created in this fic) aren't both Al Bhed. While her mother was an Al Bhed, her father was only half-Al Bhed... making Rikku a 3/4th's Al Bhed. (But, Only for this story and the other one connected to it, 'Who Am I?').

!Secrets of the Den of Woe!

)Mushroom Rock Road(

Rikku, Yuna, Paine, and Leonn are standing at the sealed entrance to the Den of Woe. Leonn walks forward and places each Crimson Sphere in a recess on the seal-door of the cave. Once all the Crimson Spheres are placed, there's a loud shaking sound before the seal vanishes and reveals the opening of the Den of Woe. Leonn turns to the others, "Hope you girls are ready for this." he says, then turns back toward the cave entrance, "... cause, I sure ain't!"

"We hafta believe in ourselves!" Rikku states, then looks back-and-forth from Yuna to Paine, then back to Yuna, "... r-right, guys?"

Yuna turns back to Rikku and nods, smiling slightly, "Right!" she agrees, "As long as we all fight together and believe in ourselves and each other, we'll be fine." Rikku smiles at Yuna's words of encouragement.

"Alright." Paine says, walking up beside Leonn, "Let's get this over with." The four then enter the Den of Woe...

)Inside the Den of Woe(

"Pyreflies?" Leonn says, stunned at the sight of thousands of pyreflies inside the cave, "... it's like the Farplane..."

"No... it's not." Paine says, as if she knows something, "... these pyreflies are filled with hatred. They possess people and cause them to turn on one another!"

"... you've been here, eh Paine?" questions Leonn. Paine nods once as the four continue through the cave... most of the pyreflies avoiding them.

Suddenly, A ball of energy flies at the group, causing them to scatter in order to avoid it as it impacts roughly the center of where they were standing. Leonn and the others look up to see Sarah standing several feet infront of them with her right hand outstretched toward the group.

"... S-Sarah?" Leonn says, his eyes widening somewhat. Sarah lowers her hand and Leonn starts to walk toward her, however...

"Leonn! Look out!" Rikku calls, causing Leonn to stop and jump back as a beam flies through from off to his left.

"It's you..." Paine says, causing the others to look where she's looking, "Elle..." Ellone is standing leaned forward slightly with both hands outstretched infront of her.

Ellone lowers her hands and walks over beside Sarah.

"... it's just like back then..." Paine says, "They're both under the control of the pyreflies!"

"Then, There's only one course of action..." Leonn says, readying his nodachi in his right hand, "We... must fight them... until they're exhausted."

Paine nods, pulling her sword out, "Right. Once their bodies are exhausted, the pyreflies should flee... I hope." Rikku and Yuna ready their weapons as well...

(I'm not intending on including this fight-scene)

Once the battle's over, both Sarah and Ellone collapse onto the ground as the pyreflies flee from their exhausted frames. Leonn and Paine run over to check on them.

"A-are they...?" Yuna wonders aloud, holding her right wrist in her left hand infront of her.

"No." Paine states in response, "Elle's alright." she looks up from Ellone toward Leonn and asks, "How about Sarah, Leonn?"

After checking the girl, Leonn looks up from her to Paine and nods once, "... she's alive. We have to get them out of here... and away from these accursed pyreflies!" he scoops Sarah up in his arms and stands up, as Paine picks up Ellone and stands also.

Leonn heads toward the exit, carrying Sarah, and Paine starts to head out behind him. Paine looks to Rikku and Yuna, "We won't take long." she says, "Then, We'll find out what's responsible for all of this!" she finishes with a nod, before turning and following after Leonn.

)Just Outside the Den's Entrance(

Leonn has just finished sitting Sarah against one of the 'walls' as Paine exits the cave, carrying Ellone. Paine kneels down and lays Ellone on the ground, however... just as she lies Ellone down, the seal that covered the cave entrance reappears suddenly.

"No!" Leonn shouts, running up to the entrance as the seal finishes rematerializing. He throws his arms against the seal-door, then draws his right arm back and pounds against the seal, following that by repeating the process with his left arm, then he draws back both arms and pounds against the seal again, "Grrrr!" he growls in frustration, as his attempts fail.

"The seal..." Paine says, still kneeling next to Ellone, "How?"

"Ha ha ha ha!" laughter is heard emanating from an unknown source.

Leonn backs away from the seal-door, his eyes darting back-and-forth as if in an attempt to find the unseen force behind the laughter. Paine stands up and looks around as well, neither knowing exactly what they're looking for.

"Who are you!" demands Leonn, however, there's no response from the previous voice.

"Uhhh..." Sarah begins to rouse, as her eyes twitch slightly before they slowly begin open, though she quickly closes them again as the light outside the cave is initially painful to them, "Uhn..." she finally opens her eyes, raising her head and gasps slightly upon seeing Leonn, "L-L-Le-Leonn!" she manages to strain out.

"Huh?" Leonn gasps slightly, turning his head toward Sarah, "Sarah! You're awake!" he runs over and kneels next to her.

"Leonn!" Sarah says, as she throws her arms around Leonn's neck, "I was so scared! I couldn't stop myself!"

"Shhh." Leonn says, wrapping his arms around Sarah, his left arm around her shoulders and his right hand on the back of her head, "Don't worry about it, it's all over now..." a moment or so later, he asks, "But, What happened?"

"... it was Trema." another voice says, causing everyone to look toward Ellone, who's now sitting up.

Paine kneels next to Ellone, "Elle?" she asks.

"I... knew you would find me, Paine." Ellone says, still looking at the ground infront of herself as a few tears fall from her eyes, "I... I never lost hope..."

Paine leans closer, curling her arms around Ellone in a hug, "... I'm sorry it took me so long." she says.

After a few more moments, "Who's... Trema?" Leonn asks, he and Sarah now standing.

"Well..." Ellone starts, as Paine helps her to her feet.

... Explanation (I haven't actually played the Den of Woe in FFX-2, so I can't include an accurate explanation. If you've played that part, then you know Trema's story. If not, use your imagination... like me) ...

"... he was also the one who controlled Omega." finishes Ellone.

"But, How does that explain the Seal closing?" questions Paine, helping Ellone to stand up.

This time, it's Sarah who answers, "Trema... controls the Den of Woe, including the Seal placed on it." she explains, "He even controls the pyreflies, which are filled with undescribable hatred towards all Spira... in fact, anyone who's heart possesses hatred, anger... even despair or regret, Trema can use those emotions to take control of the person."

"... oh no!" Leonn says suddenly, spinning toward the Seal, "Rikku and Yuna are still inside!"

)Den of Woe/Interior(

"Rikku... shouldn't we have waited on the others?" asks Yuna, as she and Rikku walk deeper through the cave-tunnel.

Rikku bites her bottom lip, slightly, as they continue walking with Rikku a couple steps ahead of Yuna, "M-maybe you're right, Yunie..." she says, then stops after a couple more steps. Rikku spins toward Yuna, "Whaddya say? Wanna head back and find the others?" she asks, almost childishly.

Yuna looks comically stunned... afterall, going ahead without the others 'was' Rikku's idea in the first place. The former High Summoner then smiles and nods once to the blonde Al Bhed, "Yes! Let's!" she says, "!" then gasps, causing Rikku to turn around in time for a bright flash of light... which severely inhibits their vision.

Once the bright flash dissipates, Rikku is standing with her left hand against a stone wall of the cave-tunnel and her right hand covering her eyes, Yuna standing a few paces behind her in a similar circumstance. Suddenly, A fist flies at Rikku from her right side... Rikku barely manages to notice it out the corner of her right eye and falls backward to avoid it, her eyes popping wide open, as the fist buries into the stone wall.

"Rikku!" Yuna calls as she kneels down behind the Al Bhed girl to check on her.

Both girls look to see who the fist belongs to... and see the same man from the computer-display... Krios!

Krios quickly jerks his right fist from the stone wall, leaving a hole where he punched. Rikku and Yuna then look beyond him to see Shilaya... both, Krios and Shilaya take their respective stances and the scene switches into battle. Rikku and Yuna ready their weapons and take their stances as well, Rikku saying, "Why...?" (Once again, I'm using the in-game battle-setup for the fight-scene).

)Outside(

This time, it's Paine who's attacking the Seal by slashing at it with her sword... unfortunately, she's meeting with same failure as Leonn. After two more slashes, Paine stops, breathing heavily, "We... have to get in there!" she states, "Our friends need help!"

"The Seal... can't be broken by sheer power..." Sarah explains, now standing up, "No matter how hard you try..."

"Is that so...?" questions Leonn's voice, causing everyone to look toward him... seeing him in his Dragoner form as a fire starts to swirl around him from his feet up. He bends his elbows, bringing his forearms and hands up horizontally at his sides, both pointed forward, and grips his hands into fists as the same swirling fire encircles them, "We'll just hafta see about 'that'!" he states, then says, "Paine, Move outta the way. I'm gonna hit it with everything I've got!" Paine nods and moves away from the Seal.

Leonn draws both his arms up infront of himself, crossing them in an 'X' fashion over his chest, then quickly jerks them to his sides as he snaps his head back and roars, causing the swirling fire around him to explode, leaving a fiery aura enshrouding his entire body. Leonn then crouches slightly and shoves off with both legs, flapping his dragon-like wings once, launching himself at the Seal. He brings his left arm around infront of himself and draws his right fist back, he lets out a quick roar as he nears the Seal and brings his left arm back to his side, throwing his right fist forward in a fiery punch against the Seal !Scene-switch!

)Inside(

Rikku leaps back to avoid an overhand right punch by Krios and lands a step or so away as Krios' fist hits the ground where she was. Without a second to think, Krios quickly brings his left fist upward as he steps toward Rikku... hitting her with an uppercut, knocking the blonde Al Bhed girl onto her back.

"Rikku!" Yuna calls worriedly, quickly spinning to look back at where Rikku is as the Al Bhed girl pushes herself up to a sitting position.

Rikku's spiralled eyes quickly widen somewhat, "Yunie! Look out!" she shouts, causing Yuna to spin back toward Shilaya as a blast of magic flies at the the former High Summoner. Yuna manages to raise her arms to partially shield herself as the blast hits her, knocking her to the ground.

Rikku and Yuna both manage to get back to their feet and Rikku runs over to Yuna, "Are you okay, Yunie?" she asks.

Yuna nods, "I... think so." she responds, "How... are we going to beat them?"

"By focusing on one, first." Rikku replies, running at Shilaya and performing her standard physical attack: a horizontal swipe with the left-hand dagger, following by spinning her back toward Shilaya and thrusts her right-hand dagger back into Shilaya, then hops back to her starting position.

As soon as Rikku's attack is finished, Yuna pulls out her second gun and starts blasting away at Shilaya with 'Trigger Happy'. Then, Rikku physically attacks again, followed by Yuna using 'Trigger Happy' again. !Scene-switch!

)Outside(

Leonn finally breaks-off his attack against the Seal and backs away, breathing heavily, changing back to his regular self. As soon as he backs off, Paine runs toward the Seal and swings her sword against it again, this time powered-up by the 'Excalibur' ability. Paine breaks-off after a little while longer, lowering the end of her sword to the ground and breathing heavily, "... what're we going to do?" she questions to no one in particular, as she punches the Seal with her left hand in frustration.

"We'll get in..." Leonn says, changing back into his Dragoner form, "By combining all of our power together!" he glances back to Sarah, "You ready to back me up, Sarah?" he asks.

Sarah responds with a swift nod and a, "Mm-hm!"

"I'll help, too!" Ellone says.

Leonn nods, then raises his right arm as fire swirls around it again... however, this time the fire is acompanied by ice, water, and lightning, courtesy of Sarah's magic. Leonn grips his hand into a solid fist, "Alright! Paine, Let's break this Seal!" he says, then flies toward the Seal.

Paine nods once and grips the handle of her sword in both hands, then starts a swing with her sword, again with the 'Excalibur' ability, and the blade also begins glowing from Ellone imbueing it with her own magic. The blade of Paine's sword and Leonn's fist near the Seal at the same instance... !Scene-switch!

)Inside(

"Ughn..." Shilaya drops to a sitting-like position and her head drops forward unconscious.

As soon as Shilaya drops unconscious, Krios crosses his arms over his chest quickly, then jerks them to his sides as his head snaps back, "Grahhhh!" he yells as his entire body is consumed by a powerful aura... his 'Enraged' state, caused by Shilaya being knocked out. Krios then runs toward Rikku and Yuna, and punches toward them with his right fist... !Scene-switch!

)Inside/Near Entrance(

There's a slight spark, then... the Seal explodes, shattering into hundreds of tiny pieces as Leonn and Paine run in, Sarah and Ellone follow. The four head into the cavern to find Rikku and Yuna... small 'time-skip', Paine and the others arrive where the fight has been taking place and see Rikku and Yuna both 'knelt' and breathing heavily, Krios is standing a few feet infront of them... and looks as if he's unharmed.

"Are we... too late?" questions Paine, concerned.

A moment passes, then... Krios' aura fades and he slouches forward slightly, breathing heavily, "... well done, my daughter." he says toward Rikku with a partial smile.

"My name's Rikku!" the blonde Al Bhed girl responds.

"Heh..." Krios responds, then nods slightly, "Rikku it is, then... ughn..." he then falls backward and hits the ground on his back.

"Father!" Rikku calls, pushing herself up to run over to him.

Krios slowly opens his spiralled eyes to look at Rikku, "You've... grown well." he says, again smiling slightly, "You've grown up to be a strong young woman..."

"But, You've managed to retain your kind heart and gentle nature." Shilaya's voice adds, causing Rikku to look over where she's 'sitting'. Shilaya has her head raised now toward Rikku and is smiling, "And, Your father and I are very proud of you."

"Mom..." Rikku says, then smiles.

"Worthless fools!" a booming voice states.

"What the?"

"It's Trema..." Krios says, "Rikku... you and your friends must stop him!" "It is the only way you can escape this dungeon." he adds, "His altar is just ahead..." he points to a door in the north-east direction, "Through that door."

Rikku looks toward the door, then back down at Krios and nods, "Don't worry, We'll bust 'im up, real good!" she says, "Then, We'll all get outta here, together." she then looks back at Yuna and the others, "Right, guys?"

Yuna, Paine, and Leonn nod in agreement. Yuna then runs up to where Rikku is, they nod to one another and then head toward the door. Paine turns to Leonn, Sarah, and Ellone, then shrugs and runs off to catch Rikku and Yuna. Leonn shakes his head slightly, then nods once basically to himself and turns to Sarah and Ellone, "We'll take care of Trema." he says, "See what you two can do to help Krios and Shilaya, okay?" Sarah and Ellone both nod, then Leonn turns and runs off to join up with YRP.

!To Be Continued!

Ramblings: Well, How is so far? Pretty strange, eh? Well, There'll be one more chapter in which the group's gonna fight Trema... or rather Omega Trema, since I don't know what Trema looks like... I'm just gonna have him merge with Omega Weapon since I know what it looks like and that's what Rikku and the gang are gonna fight. Okay, Next chapter will be the last. BTW, If you all are wondering why my typing format is changing so often... the reason is that this site is screwing with my format and deleting my type of format, then I change it somewhat, then they change it again, and so on. Please, Just bear with me, if I manage to finish this story using my basic editor(Notepad), then I'm going to try to find a typing program that this site will allow my format in... just be patient, okay? Well, Ja til next time!


	6. Final Chapter

!Author's Notes! 

Okay, In case you're wondering... this will be the final chapter of 'Letting Go of the Past'. Well, then, Let us get started.

Btw, If you like the Rikku/Yuna pairing, then be sure to check out Flaming Soul's 'The Troubles of Love'. I'm sooo sorry, K-chan! I forgot to mention itin the last chapter.

Oh, and, I want to thank everyone who has read and reviewed this fic of mine. An especially big 'THANK YOU!' to K-chan (a.k.a Flaming Soul). And another quick thank you to YuriNut and, if you decide to write a Rikku/Yuna fic, I'll be sure to read and review it.

Now that I am finished with the pleasantries, I bring you the 'Final Chapter'...

!Final Chapter!

)Trema's Chamber(

... "What the?" questions Leonn, as he and the girls runs into Trema's chamber.

Before the group is what appears to be Omega Weapon, however, it appears to have the head of a human, "Fools! You shall regret opposing me!" Omega Trema states, "Now, DIE!" he swings his large right arm downward at the group, in an attempt to squash them flat, however, they manage to dive away from the point of impact.

"I've had about enough of this!" Yuna states, almost angry.

"Yeah! You tell 'im, Yunie!" Rikku states, "We'll teach that monster a lesson!"

"Let's take him down!" Paine adds, drawing her sword.

Suddenly, A massive double-edged sword comes spinning down out of nowhere and lodges in the ground infront of Leonn, who's now wearing a blue cloak that covers him from his neck to his knees. He then throws the cloak behind him to appear as a cape, revealing himself to be clad in white armor trimmed in gold. He grabs the handle of the sword and pulls it from the ground, "Hm! This'll be over, quick!" he states.

Omega Trema roars and the battle begins (Btw, I am not using the in-game battle-setup for this fight).

TIME-SKIP

Rikku and the others are nearly exhausted, "H... how're we gonna... beat this thing?" questions Rikku.

"By bringing him down to our level!" Leonn states, "Rikku, You remember that move you and Yuna used to defeat the Adamant-Guardian?" Rikku nods. "Good." Leonn says, "Get ready to use it, I know you can!" "Paine!"

"Got it!" Paine responds, changing into the Dark Knight-dressphere and readying her sword.

"Then, Let's bring this behemoth down!" Leonn states, then he and Paine run directly toward Omega Trema, barely avoiding another thwack-attempt.

The two run through between the monster's front legs, Leonn slashing at the creature's left front leg and Paine cutting down its right. Then, The two roll out from under Omega Trema, Leonn to his right and Paine to her left, as Omega Trema's injured front legs give way and he drops down, "Now!" Leonn shouts to Rikku and Yuna.

Rikku changes into the Warrior-dressphere, "You ready to try this, Yunie?" she asks the former High-Summoner.

Yuna nods in a positive manner, then switches into the Gun Mage-dressphere, "Let's bring him down, Rikku!" she says to the blonde Al Bhed girl.

"Right!" Rikku resonds, then charges her sword with the 'Excalibur' ability and runs at Omega Trema, as Yuna readies 'Annihalation'.

'You must believe in yourselves and each other, as well as the bond you share...' Leonn says in his mind, 'In order to unleash the True Vorpal Slash, your bond must be absolute!'

Just as Rikku nears Omega Trema, she starts her spin, and Yuna fires 'Annihalation'... Rikku's sword glows with light and dark energies as she finshes her spin, slashing Omega Trema horizontally, then the sword's blade glows in all colors and Rikku performs a two-handed uppercut-slash as she leaps upward, leaving a streak of light vertically through Omega Trema's torso. Then, Omega Trema's body splits in-two and shatters into millions of pieces before disappearing as Rikku lands.

As soon as Rikku lands, she automatically changes back to her default dressphere and drops to her knees, letting out a quick huff. Then, her spiralled eyes go hazy before rolling back and closing as she falls forward onto the ground, slightly on her right side, unconscious.

"Rikkuuu!" Yuna shouts as she runs over to the fallen Al Bhed girl. Yuna drops to her knees beside Rikku and lifts the girl halfway onto her lap, "Rikku?" she says, tears filling her miscolored eyes, "Rikku! Wake up, please!"

"Ughn..." Rikku's eyes squinch tightly, then start to slowly open, "... Y-Yunie... d-did we get 'im?"

"Rikku?" Yuna says, then sniffles once before nodding, "Yeah! We got him." she smiles at the blonde Al Bhed girl in her arms.

"Good..." Rikku says, laying her head against Yuna's chest and closes her eyes, "Man, I'm soooo tired..." she smiles slightly, nestled in Yuna's arms.

Yuna uses one arm to wipe away some of her tears before curling it back around Rikku and she smiles down at the girl again... but, suddenly! The ground starts quaking and rocks start falling all around the group, waking Rikku up, "Wh-what's going on?" questions Yuna.

"The Den of Woe!" Leonn states, looking around, "Without Trema in power, it's crumbin'!"

"What?" Paine responds, "We have to get out of here, now!"

"But, Rikku's completely exhausted!" Yuna states.

"Nah, I'm okay, Yunie." Rikku says, from Yuna's lap before she gets up to her feet, "See?" she adds, confidently. "Ohh, whoa... uh-oh!" she voices before dropping straight down, with her knees together and her feet out to either side of herself, her hands on the ground infront of her, "Heh heh..." she laughs, nervously as she raises her right hand to rub the back of her head, "I guess I'm not so okay, afterall. Heh heh."

"Don't worry, I'll help you." Yuna says, kneeling and wrapping Rikku's left arm around her shoulders. She curls her own right arm around Rikku's waist and stands up, helping the Al Bhed girl to her feet also.

Paine then does the same thing in inverse (i.e. wraps Rikku's right arm around her shoulders and her own left arm around Rikku's waist) at Rikku's right side, "Hey, I'm here too." she says.

"Paine?" questions Yuna, blinking twice.

"Friends gotta help each other, right?" Paine responds, "Now, Let's go."

The four head toward the exit...

)Cave/Interior(

"Everyone! Let's get outta here!" Leonn calls to Sarah and the others: Ellone, Krios, and Shilaya. And, so, all eight head for the exit... Rikku, Yuna, and Paine infront.

However, Further along the path and near the exit, an overhead section of the cave starts to give, threatening to block the escape-route. Leonn, though, quickly runs around Yuna and the others and stops under the falling section, he pushes his hands up against it and then strains as he pushes against it to hold it up. He looks back over his shoulder and says, "Now! Go on! Hurry!" the strain apparent in his voice. The rest hesitantly agree and maneuver around Leonn and under the weakened section of the cave's 'ceiling'... Yuna and Paine helping Rikku through first, however, the section of cave starts becoming a little too much for Leonn to hold up. That's when Krios steps up beside him and does the same thing that Leonn's doing, pushing up against the section in order to take at least part of the load of Leonn's shoulders. So... then Ellone, followed by Sarah, maneuver their way past that section of the cave.

"You're next, boy!" Krios states to Leonn, lowering his left arm and slapping Leonn's back to knock him from under the slab, then quickly returns his hand to push up against the section. Krios' body is engulfed in a magical aura and the group sees Shilaya standing on the other side of the crumbling section in her magic-casting stance, doing what she can to assist her husband. "Go now!" Krios adds, "Get out while you can, don't worry about us!"

"Mom! Dad!" Rikku shouts, "We can't just leave you here!"

"Rikku..." Krios says, "You make it out. You live your life, like you always have... free, and without any regret. Now, Get out of here!"

"... come on, Rikku, Yuna." Paine says, lightly pulling to signify heading out of the cave.

"... a-alright..." Rikku responds and everyone heads for the cave entrance/exit, except Leonn.

Leonn stands there for a moment or so as the cave continues to fall in around him, "You are as heroic as I remembered, Krios." he says.

"Ha ha!" Krios laughs, "Don't waste your breath, boy!" he says, "Just get out of here! And... tell that fool, Cid... 'Thanks' for taking care of my little girl. Got it?"

"Sure thing!" Leonn responds with a quick nod, before turning on his heel and speeding out of the cave. Just as Leonn dives out the cave's entrance/exit, the entire Den of Woe caves-in with Krios and Shilaya still inside.

"NOOOOO!" Rikku screams.

Short while later... Rikku is crying and Yuna is comforting her.

"Rikku." Leonn says, gaining the Al Bhed girl's attention, "Let it go."

"How can you say that!" Yuna responds, angrily, "Rikku's parents just... died! How can you tell her to just 'let it go'!" (Yikes! I scared myself! Angry Yuna... scar-y!)

"Her father said for her to 'live free, without any regret'..." Leonn replies, "And, the only way to do that is to let go... let go of the past, move on... heh, it's easier said than done, I think..."

!(EPILOGUE)!

)Hidden Village of Ikuria/Near Macalania(

"Are you going?" asks Ellone.

Paine finishes slipping her right-hand glove on, then nods, "Yes. Those guys showed me that there's alot of stuff in this world. Some of which hasn't even been discovered, yet..." she expains, "And, I want to be able to say that I helped discover some of it. But, Don't worry, Elle. I'll come back to you."

Ellone smiles, "Alright." she says with a quick nod, "I'll be looking forward to congratulating you, then!"

Paine nods again, before heading outside to board the Celsius. Then, it blasts off.

)Pilgrimage Road(

Leonn is watching Sarah as she picks flowers at the side of the road, she stands up with a full bouqet of all different shades of flowers and looks around to see the people around, Al Bheds and Spirans getting along, the Machina transports speeding past, "Wow!" she says, "Things have changed so much! Everything's so much more peaceful and lively, now!"

"Yep." Leonn responds, "With the death of Sin, everything's much more peaceful. Sure, there are still fiends around and a few people who are still untrusting of each other, but overall... I think Spira'll be okay now..."

"Look, Leonn!" Sarah states, pointing up in the sky.

Leonn looks up to see the Celsius as it speeds by overhead and he smiles, "Looks like their adventures ain't over, yet." he says.

)Celsius/Bridge(

"Reports of a Sphere located on Mt. Gagazet!" Buddy states, "Where's Rikku and Yuna?"

"Up on the Deck." Paine replies, folding her arms nonchalantly, "But, I don't think we should disturb them."

)Celsius/Deck(

"Are you sure, Rikku?" asks Yuna, standing behind Rikku.

Rikku nods, "I'll live my life the only way I really know how..." she says, "Free." "Besides..." she adds, then spins and glomps Yuna suddenly, causing the former High Summoner to gasp slightly, "I have you with me, Yunie!"

Yuna returns her friend's hug and smiles, laying her forhead against Rikku's, "And, I promise... that won't everchange!" she says, "I love you, Rikku."

Rikku giggles slightly and blushes, but maintains eye-contact with Yuna, "I love you too, Yunie!" she responds.

!THE END!

Ramblings: Well, There it is! Another Rikku/Yunie fic done! If you're wondering about the rather short fight with Trema, well... He was never supposed to play any major kinda roll in the story, just added in to blame everything on, y'know. Well, Thanks for reading and be sure to review, okay? And, Keep your eyes open for more fics by me. Ja!


End file.
